diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index e7bd8f351a..3a66c6dd39 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+# Synapse 1.153.0rc2 (2026-05-13)
+
+## Bugfixes
+
+- Correctly handle arbitrary precision integers in `unsigned` field of events. The bug was introduced in 1.153.0rc1. ([\#19769](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/19769))
+
+
 # Synapse 1.153.0rc1 (2026-05-08)
 
 ## Features
diff --git a/changelog.d/19769.bugfix b/changelog.d/19769.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 05aae44311..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/19769.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Correctly handle arbitrary precision integers in `unsigned` field of events.
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 6aa3735603..bbd164b2a8 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.153.0~rc2) stable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New Synapse release 1.153.0rc2.
+
+ -- Synapse Packaging team <packages@matrix.org>  Wed, 13 May 2026 12:00:39 +0100
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.153.0~rc1) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New Synapse release 1.153.0rc1.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b456adfc60..a7422e1987 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "matrix-synapse"
-version = "1.153.0rc1"
+version = "1.153.0rc2"
 description = "Homeserver for the Matrix decentralised comms protocol"
 readme = "README.rst"
 authors = [